Closure and operating mechanism therefor



y 1955 T. WHEATLEY 2,707,575

CLOSURE AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Feb. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

7770/7705 W /7 ea Hey May 3, 1955 T. WHEATLEY CLOSURE AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Feb. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Thomas W/iea f/ey INVENTOR.

A TTORNEV United States Patent CLOSURE AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR Thomas Wheatley, Houston, Tex.

Application February 28, 1952, Serial No. 273,829

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-57) This invention relates to a closure and operating mechanism therefor, and more particularly to mechanism for pivotally supporting a closure for swinging movement into and out of registration with an opening to be closed and for moving the closure toward and away from the opening independently of such swinging movement.

The invention is especially useful in connection with apparatus having openings which must be maintained in securely sealed condition, but which may be subjected to frequent opening and closing.

The invention also finds particular application in connection with operating mechanism for closures of the type which are pivotally supported for swinging movement into and out of registration or axial alignment with an opening to be closed, and in which it is desirable to maintain the closure clear of the opening during such swinging movement The invention has for an important object the provision of a closure and operating means therefor, by which the closure is pivotally supported to be readily moved into and out of registration or axial alignment with the opening to be closed, said operating mechanism also having means for moving the closure into and out of sealing relation with the opening when in. registration therewith and for clamping the closure in closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure and operating mechanism therefor, including a yoke, a supporting arm which is pivotally supported at one end adjacent the opening to be closed, and which pivotally supports a yoke at the other end of the arm for movement of, the yoke into and out of registration or axial alignment with the opening, and a closure within and supported by the yoke and movable relative to the yoke into and out of sealing relation with the opening, the mechanism also being operative to clamp the closure in closed position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a closure and operating mechanism therefor, which is of simple design and rugged construction, capable of long withstanding the extreme conditions of hard usage and exposure, to which such devices are customarily subjected.

The principal of operation and the application of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the same when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away and partly in cross section, illustrating the invention with the closure in its closed position;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a top plan view illustrating the invention with the closure in a partly open condition.

Refering now to the drawings in greater detail, wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts 2,707,575 Patented May 3, 1955 throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a conduit, vessel, or the like, having an opening 11 therein, and in the present illustration a tubular member 12 is connected thereto, about the opening 11, by welding or the like, which tubular member is provided at its outer end with an outwardly extending annular flange 14. The tubular member 12 forms a convenient outlet or inlet opening 13 defined by the flange 14 through which access may be had to the interior of the conduit or vessel 10.

A lug 16 is formed or attached to the exterior of the member 12, spaced below the flange 14 thereof, which lug is perforated as indicaed at 18, as best seen in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The lug 16 forms a support for one end of an arcuate swing arm 20, having a pin 22 thereon, which extends into the opening 18 in the lug to pivotally connect the arm to the lug.

The free end of the arm 20 carries a pivot pin 24, upon which a supporting member in the form of a yoke 26 is pivotally supported, so that the member may be swung in a direction normal to its axis, into and out of a position in registration or axial alignment with the annular flange 14 and above the opening 13 of the member 12. The suporting member or yoke 26 is open at one side, and is formed with an inwardly extending arcuate flange 28, so that the annular flange 14 is received in the yoke, with the flange 28 disposed beneath the flange 14, when the yoke is moved into registration or axial alignment therewith. The yoke has a centrally disposed hub portion 30, which is provided with an internally threaded opening, as indicated at 32, and an externally threaded closure-seating and lifting column 34 extends through the opening 32 in threadable engagement with the hub. This closure actuating'element or column 34 may conveniently be of tubular formation, provided at its inner end withan external annular flange 36, and adjacent its outer end the column preferably has openings 38, therethrough, for the reception of a rod, or the like, byvwhich the column may be rotated, to move the column longitudinally with relation to the yoke.

Within the yoke there is a cover 40, which comprises the enclosure, and which in the present illustration takes the form of a fiat disc, having an annular groove 42 in its inner surface, in which sealing means, such as an O-ring 44 is positioned, for sealing engagement with the flange 14, when the closure is in closed position.

The actuating element or column 34 is connected to the cover 40 by a retainer member 48, which has an external annular flange 50, secured to the cover by means of bolts, as indicated at 52, or otherwise. This retainer member has an inturned annular flange 54, defining a centrally disposed opening 56 in the retainer, through which the column 54 extends, the flange 36 of the column being within the retainer.

The opening 56 in the retainer member 54 is somewhat larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the column 34, and the inturned flange 54 of the retainer is spaced from the cover a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the end flange 36 of the column, so that the column may be freely rotated in the yoke without rotation of the cover 40, but the cover 40 may be moved with the column toward and away from the flange 14, when the cover is in registration with the opening to be closed.

With the cover 40 in closed position, when it is desired to open the same, suitable means, such as an ordinary iron bar may be inserted through the standard 34, through the openings 38 therein, and the standard rotated to move the cover axially of the yoke away from the opening 13. Upon such movement of the cover the clamping engagement of the flange 28 of the yoke is released from the flange 14 of the member 12, and the cover yoke need be rotated on the pivot 24 to a limited extent only, and the swinging of the arm about the pivot 22 makes it possible to quickly and easily move the yoke and cover completely aside from the member 12, thus fully uncovering the opening. In opening the closure it is also evident that the cover 40 may be first moved axially of the yoke out of contact with the flange 14, whereby the packing 44 will not be abraded or scraped upon swinging movement of the yoke and cover, thus greatly prolonging the useful life of the packing and assuring a tight seal between the cover and the flange 14 when the cover is closed.

In closing the cover the yoke is again swung laterally into registering position with the flange 14, and the stand ard 34 is thereafter rotated to move the cover axially of the yoke into tight sealing engagement with the flange 14. Upon such closing movement of the cover, the flange 14 will be securely clamped between the flange 28 of the yoke and the cover 40, whereby a tight seal will be maintained between the cover and the flange 14.

It will thus be seen that the invention, as described above, provides a swinging closure of simple design and 1. Closure mechanism comprising, a yoke, a supporting arm pivotally supported adjacent one end adjacent an opening defined by an external annular flange and pivotally supporting the yoke adjacent the other end of the arm for swinging movement into and out of a position in registration with said opening, said yoke having an internal arcuate flange engageable beneath said external flange throughout a major portion of the circumference of the opening, an axially movable closure actuating element carried by the yoke and moveable axially therewith into and out of axial alignment with said opening, a closure carried by said element and moveable therewith into and out of registration with said opening, said closure being also movable axially with said actuating element into and out of closing relation with said opening.

2. Closure mechanism for use with an opening defined by an external annular flange, said mechanism compris- V ing, a swing arm pivotally supported adjacent one end adjacent said opening below said external flange, a yoke strong construction, having few parts, which is easily assembled or disassembled for purposes of replacement or repair, and which assures a tight seal between the parts when in closed condition.

The invention has been disclosed in connection with a specific embodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and that 3 numerous modifications can be made in the construction of the various parts and the manner in which they are assembled, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

pivotally supported adjacent the other end of the swing arm, said arm and yoke being movable to move the yoke into and out of registration with said external flange, a closure actuating element carried by the yoke and movable axially thereof, a closure carried by said actuating element and movable with the yoke into and out of registration with said external flange, said yoke having an arcuate internal flange engageable beneath said external flange, and said actuating element being operable to clamp said external flange between said closure and said internal flange when said closure is in registration with said external flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 160,702 Painter Mar. 9, 1875 1,543,742 Babitzky June 30, 1925 2,176,306 Kuss Oct. 17, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 514,917 France Nov. 19, 1920 

